


My Mind Forgets To Remind Me You're A Bad Idea

by CorvusCorvidae



Series: Sparks Fly [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, Pre-Relationship, The Ark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 04:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3797056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CorvusCorvidae/pseuds/CorvusCorvidae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raven ends up stuck in quarantine while on The Ark, and Doctor Griffin is on hand to ensure she makes a full recovery. </p>
<p>Takes place before The 100 are sent to the ground.</p>
            </blockquote>





	My Mind Forgets To Remind Me You're A Bad Idea

**Author's Note:**

> There will be more parts added in this series.

It was a simple mechanical fix, Raven had done it loads of times given the decay of the damn Ark. So today felt like nothing new, nothing different, and like usual Raven was meticulous and applied the fix as soon as possible. There was nothing out of the ordinary about the job, for which she was thankful. She had plans later on, and this was her last job before she was off work, so she was keen to get out of there.

If she sped through the post-job check-up and hurried, she’d make it just in time for visitors at the lock-up. Raven didn’t want to miss one minute with Finn, it had been so long since she’d seen him, and there was so much to talk about.

Heading back into the airlock, job done, tools away, Raven was bouncing on her feet. She could hear Curtis talking to her, but wasn’t quite listening, because she wanted her suit off, her things away and to be out the door before he stopped her.

"Alright, Raven, take a seat and let's check your vitals,” Curtis called, pointing at the bench, and giving her that no-nonsense look.

"Can we make it quick? I really want to get out of here fast today." Tapping her hands on her knees, drumming along to her own beat, Raven took a seat, waiting for this to be over. It normally didn’t take long, so today shouldn’t be any different.

"Visiting day in juvie lock-up?” As if Curtis had to ask, when else was she like this?

"Yep, I haven't seen him for two weeks.” There had been a fight during their exercise time, and that meant lock-down for an indefinite amount of time. Finn was surely going round the bend, and Raven hated that she couldn’t make things easier for him. Which was why today was so important. Two weeks of isolation would have been hard, but for Finn, who needed to be socially active, it must have been killer.

"Well, I'll try not to keep you," Curtis said, smiling. He held the tablet in his hands, detailing Raven’s vitals, and then glanced back up to her, before looking back down. She tried not to find it suspicious, but then Curtis hummed.

"Hmm?" Raven frowned, repeating the noise. “What does hmm mean? Something wrong?" Please don’t let there be. It would be a sick joke the universe was playing on her if there was.

"You're running a fever,” Curtis replied, stepping back and moving to shut the doors between them, locking Raven in the unit alone.

"A fever? I feel fine." She was standing now, right in front of the doors, waving her hands as she spoke. “Seriously, Curtis, I’m fine. Perfectly fine. Fit as a fiddle!”

He shook his head and waved the tablet at her. "You’re not...your heart is beating faster than usual, and no its not the adrenaline before you say as much, and your temperature is elevated... I'll call medical, they’ll sort this out.” That was the last thing she wanted. No. No.

"Wait, what? I'm fine!” Raven called again, her eyes widening slightly as Curtis walked towards the comms system.

"It's protocol. Stay put, and we'll get medical to come see you,” he replied, not missing a beat as he dialled for assistance. Though, really, where was she going to go? The doors had her locked in, segregated from him and everyone else. She wasn’t getting out until they let her out.

There was no use fighting or arguing, or even trying to override the door to get it to open like she had done a few months ago when it jammed on her. The risk was too high, and it would be downright foolish of her to expose herself to anyone else. A fever was serious stuff on the Ark, and Raven knew better than to waste her energy bitching about the situation.

Sitting her ass back down, admitting defeat, she sighed. This was going to eat into her time with Finn, if they even allowed her to see him. And hell, she’d throw a fit later if she couldn’t. Two weeks. It had already been two weeks! How many more would it be now? And for what, a tiny fever? She was fine!

Okay, now that Raven thought about it, her heart was going slightly faster than normal, but that was nothing new. Her heart was always up to no good. And okay, maybe she did feel a little cold, but it was always like that after coming back inside the Ark. And no, she wasn’t even going to entertain the thought that her throat was a little achy. No, not at all. She was fine.

It took a while, as these things always did, but finally someone from medical arrived. Actually, a whole team arrived. They were all wearing the quarantine suits, protecting themselves, and it took a moment to realise that the doctor in charge was councilwoman Abby Griffin.

If the Chief Medical Officer was down there, then Raven knew there was no way she was going to be seeing Finn today.

Fucking great.

"Hi Curtis, take a seat for me, and we’ll get you looked at. Now, Raven, how are you feeling?" Abby smiled, turning from the tablet she had collected from Curtis, to look in the secure unit.

 “I feel fine, can I go now?” Raven answered, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Not quite yet. Let’s see what we’re dealing with first.” Abby turned back to speak to another member of her team, before they began to move Curtis into an airtight bed, fit with its own oxygen supply. Raven knew once he was secured and transported away through the ark, and the doors were shut, they would open the airlock unit she was in.

"Is all this really necessary?" Raven asked, despite knowing the answer to her question. She just wanted to check. She just needed to know for sure. Because maybe it was a mistake. Maybe Curtis had read the tablet wrong.

 "It's been a busy day in the clinic, yet here I am. I think that tells you enough,” Abby replied, shrugging.

"It’s just a fever." God knows why Raven was arguing, because she knew the protocol, but she really couldn’t help herself.

"And while you only see fever, I see an outbreak," Abby confirmed, and that was the end of Raven’s day as she knew it.

"No, don't say it,” she whined, frowning. No way.

 "I'm afraid so. You need to be quarantined until we know what's going on." Abby shot Raven a sad smile, as if she felt sorry for her, and that was the icing on the cake.

"But I feel fine!" Raven couldn't help but repeat. "I have to go to lock-up. It's visitor's day-"

"I know, but I'm afraid you can't. There is no way, the risks are too high, Raven, I'm sorry." Raven let out a sigh, slumping back onto the bench, and pursed her lips. Typical. "Look, if you want, I can get a message to whoever you're going to visit, letting them know what's going on." Abby gave Raven another smile, this one softer, pausing from her checklist she was going through, but it did very little to improve Raven’s mood.

"Don't,” she replied, shaking her head. “He'll only worry. Thanks though." Finn would freak out, thinking she was on her deathbed, and that wouldn’t do him any favours. Knowing him, he’d try and break out to come see her and get himself floated. They still had a few months before having to worry about that outcome, so until then, he needed to refrain from doing anything rash.

"If you change your mind, just let me know," Abby offered, before resuming her role as Chief Medical Officer like nothing, and Raven watched the process in action. She had seen the patients being rushed passed, she had heard the emergency alarms when a she was a child, and she knew the seriousness of it all so to actually be the patient was rather worrying all of a sudden.

It wasn't just her life at risk here, if she was exposed to anyone else they were at risk. And Curtis. What about Curtis? She'd need to ask later to make sure he was alright. He had a kid, if anything happened to him because of her, Raven would never forgive herself.

When they brought in the second transport bed, Raven stood up knowing the doors were going to open any moment now. It took them a few moments to prepare for her; a check that all their quarantine suits were properly secure, a check that the oxygen supply on the transport bed was working, a check on the doors to ensure they were sealed, and finally it was time.

"Alright, Doc, where do you want me?" Raven asked, trying to make light of the situation. If she kept in good spirits, which would surely make this process go faster. Surely. That’s what Finn would have told her, anyway.

Abby gave a smile and unlocked the doors to the sealed unit, allowing Raven to step forward. Tapping the bed, Raven followed Abby’s direction and climbed aboard. Lying back, Abby explained the transport bed to her, before the lid was shut and Raven was secured.

This was certainly new.

 It felt like she was in a coffin, which was peculiar in itself because they didn’t do coffins in the Ark. She’d read about them, been taught about them, and how on Earth many chose to be buried in a coffin. Not like on the Ark, where being sucked into space was the only option. So this, lying locked in a secured bed, felt very surreal. Thank fuck she wasn’t claustrophobic or this would have definitely tipped her over the edge.

Thankfully, the top of the transport bed was made of clear plastic, allowing Raven to see where she was being taken. She could hear the alarms sounding as the team marched her through the Ark, through checkpoints and security areas, past as little people as possible, until she was finally being brought into the quarantine unit of the med bay. From there, she was moved into a private room, where most of the staff stepped out, leaving only two. Abby remained, her face visible through her quarantine mask, and Jackson something or other, Raven couldn’t remember his surname. The two of them secured the room before unlocking the bed to let Raven out.

Abby held out her hand for Raven to take, assisting her off the bed. Raven wasn’t sure whether to accept her hand or not. What if she really was sick? Yeah, Abby was wearing quarantine gloves, but still. There was no hesitation in Abby’s eyes, however, when she offered it, so Raven reached out, accepting her hand. She climbed off the bed, back onto her own two feet, and made the move to the bed in the room. Once there, Jackson started preparing IV lines and gathering kit to find a vein. Abby prepared the machines that Raven was eyeing, and okay, they really were going all out.

Looking around the sparsely decorated room, grey in colour like the rest of the damn Ark, Raven couldn’t help but wonder how long she would be there. From the looks of things, from the way Abby and Jackson were going about it, Raven was sure she was in for the long-haul, and that thought had her slouching back in bed with a sign.

Great. Fucking great.

*0*0*

The quarantine bay should have been called the crack-pot bay, because Raven was slowly losing her mind. She had been there four days, her arms pricked with more needles than she thought possible, her skin itching under the medical tape that kept her IV lines in, and her muscles were aching from lack of use. Plus, on top of that, there was no mental stimulation. Yeah, there was a shaky projector where she could watch the basic shows on offer, but she’d seen them a million times growing up (Finn’s family had access to a projector, unlike her mom, so she spent countless hours lying on their floor with Finn watching everything again and again). And speaking of Finn, Raven missed him.

He must have thought that she had bailed on him, which sucked, and yeah he would get over it when he knew the truth, but in the meantime he was left thinking she had ditched him. That hurt, because she’d never. They were friends for life. She owed him her life. But more than that, she missed her best friend. She missed talking with him, laughing with him, teasing him; and god, there wasn’t anyone there to do that with. Jackson was checking on her as much as possible, and he was the one drawing her blood, but there was no conversation with him.

And right now, she really needed conversation.

The whirl of the quarantine doors alerted Raven to someone coming into her room. She could see the body standing between the two sets of doors, getting blasted down with air, before being allowed access. As soon as they were through the door, Raven caught their eye and visibly relaxed in the bed. It was Abby, who had been working with Curtis these last few days, and she was (hopefully) coming with the answers Raven needed.

"How is he? Is he okay?" Raven asked, the words falling off her tongue quickly. It made Abby smile through her mask, and that had to be a good sign.

"Curtis is doing well. No signs of a fever, or anything wrong with him at all, actually. It's all very promising.” That was great news. Leaning back a bit further in the bed, Raven’s shoulders dropped and she relaxed her head against the pillow. That was brilliant news.  

"Good, that’s good," she murmured, more to herself than to Abby. But from the sounds of it, Curtis wasn't out of the woods yet, so Raven wasn't going to get her hopes up. 

"How are you feeling?” Abby asked, breaking the silence, as she perused the machines and Raven’s vitals. “I've heard you're not too pleased with your form of entertainment."

"Entertainment? You call watching movies I've seen a thousand times entertainment? Please. Get me my tool box or something, let me dismantle your projector and rebuild it to fix that shake it does. Just…let me do something. I'm going stir crazy in here."

Abby smiled at that, and shook her head, "You leave our projector alone. We like the shake." Reaching into the medical cupboard at the other side of the room, Abby removed an IV bag, and came over to replace Raven’s current one. Her quarantine suit crinkled as she did so, but she moved like it wasn’t restricting her in the slightest.

"It shouldn't be that much longer before we know what we're dealing with here, Raven. Your test results are coming in, and we are ruling things out as we go." Jackson had said they would get results soon, but for Abby to be telling her, that must have meant progress.

"And how long after that before I can get out of here?" she asked, waving her hand around the room. It was one thing to be in med bay, but another to be locked up in quarantine.

"Depends on the results, you know that. Optimistically, though, you might be out in a week, maybe be longer." Abby continued replacing her IV bag as she spoke, and ensured the drip rate was suitable, before taking a seat next to the bed. It was comforting that she wasn’t running off first chance she got, Raven found.

"Longer?" That word echoed in Raven’s head, and now she was curios. How many weeks was it going be before she could see Finn again? They didn't have many weeks left, it was a constant count down and she hated missing their time together.

"If this turns out to be a simple fix,” Abby began, “we will probably keep you a few extra days longer due to your heart. We want to keep an eye on you, make sure you’re fully recovered before letting you back out amongst the masses." Her answer made sense, it just wasn’t the one Raven wanted to hear.

 "Of course you do." Nodding, Raven sucked in air through her teeth, before letting out a big sigh.

"Raven, if this is something more than a cold, you could be at risk of-"

"I know, I know,” she interrupted, stopping Abby short, who frowned at her. “I've heard it all before. Every time there is a quarantine or a sniffle, everyone is always quick to let me know how at risk I am."

"You're rather important, I hear, so we wouldn't want something like the cold taking out brightest zero-g mechanic, now would we? “Abby teased, easing the tension, and Raven felt a blush stem across her cheeks, instead of her usual pride.

 "Heard about that, did you?" God, why were her cheeks so damn warm. What did it matter?

"It's impossible not to when your boss is at my door past hours, demanding to know when he's getting you back." That brought a smile to Raven's lips, and hell, she couldn’t wait to get back to work.

"When you know what’s up, you'll tell me what's going on, right? Don't sugar coat it if its shit, or make it sound better, I want to know what's going on." She pleaded with Abby, staring at her through the quarantine mask, hoping she understood the importance of this request.

"When I know, you'll know.” Abby’s words were strong, her tone firm, and it was as good a promise as Raven was going to get.

"No one else is sick, though, right? No one else on the Ark? I could just be an isolated case." It would be easier if she was. She really, really, hoped she was.

"I think that's what we're dealing with, yes. You've been here four days now, and no one else has presented with anything. We did scheduled checks to ensure, and anyone who even remotely had something of question, we -"

"Locked them up too?" Raven teased, and that earned her a laugh.

 "We assessed them and let them go,” Abby corrected, raising her eyebrow at Raven’s sass.

 “Lucky me then," she mumbled, waving her hands to the amazingness that was her lot. Abby watched with mirth, before shaking her head and rising to her feet.

 "Okay, I have to get back to the clinic, but please, take it easy and rest. Maybe if you're able to give your body a chance, you can get out of here sooner." All Raven was doing was resting. She hardly left the damn bed. But, if the doc asked, she’d do.

 "Don't get my hopes up, Doc.” Don’t make promises you can’t keep, were the unspoken words that followed. Abby met Raven’s gaze with a firm nod, however, hearing the challenge.

 "I wouldn't dream of it, Raven."

 With that, Abby left the room, going through the quarantine procedures as she did so, and once again, Raven was left alone. What the hell, the projector may shake but it was the only thing keeping her from truly losing the plot. Turning onto a show Finn and her loved, Raven settled into the bed, and tried to pretend she was back on his living room carpet, watching it with him at her side.

*0*0*

Two days later, Abby returned to Raven’s room. She was still in her quarantine suit, which didn’t bode well, but given it was Abby and not Jackson, there had to be some form of news. Trying to sit up, Raven’s arms stiff and sore, she licked her lips and shot the Doc a smile. It wasn’t as bright as it was a few days ago, as Raven’s bod ached, her throat was sore, and she really wanted to go back to sleep. Whatever had elevated her temperature before was now bringing out the rest of the band.

"Tell me you have good news, because I'm seriously considering stripping the tiles off the walls in here," Raven mumbled, and okay, that sounded a little slurred. How tired was she?

Both Abby and Raven knew that her threat was physically impossible, as Raven had deteriorated in the last day, but a girl could dream, so Abby smiled back like it was a credible threat.

"I have news,” she began, taking a seat next to the bed. She wasn’t looking at the vitals tablet, or any of the machines, but straight at Raven, and that worried her more than it should have.

 "That's not ominous at all. Nice one, Doc." Great way to scare the hell out of her.  

“It appears you have pneumonia; we are still trying to assess which type exactly, but everything is pointing in that direction,” Abby explained, and Raven felt herself deflate at that diagnosis.

“Pneumonia. That can kill me, right?” She knew it could before she asked the question, but she wanted to see what Abby would say.

“Raven, we aren’t there yet. We are still trying to assess what’s going on.” Right, so that meant she Abby would sugar-coat things.

“But you wouldn’t have told me that if you didn’t know.” Abby cocked her head to the side and gave Raven a look over, debating her options before continuing.

“Pneumonia can kill, yes, but we have antibiotics and treatments available. You do not need to worry about that. Please don’t, because it will be a waste of your energy, and you need to save that up.” At least she was being honest, now.

“Okay, but you’ll keep me posted on how it’s going?” Raven asked, rubbing her chest, where it ached.

“Of course. I will tell you when I know.” Abby reached out, quarantine glove touching Raven’s knee over the blanket. “I will do everything I can, Raven, I promise you.”

For some reason, Raven believed her. Abby probably told all her patients that, and most likely did all she could anyway, but still. Abby’s words put a warmth in Raven, one she definitely needed right about now.

*0*0*

The next time Abby came into Raven’s room, she wasn’t wearing her quarantine suit, and that was a shock to the system. Either Doctor Griffin had finally lost the plot, or Raven’s results were back.

"The results came back from your sputum test-"

"Lovely," Raven muttered, making a face, causing Abby to smile as she went to continue.

"You have a case of bacterial pneumonia. We're going to monitor you, give you antibiotics, but I'm afraid you're stuck in here."

"And you're out of your quarantine suit because?” Surely they wouldn’t want to risk their Chief Medical Officer catching this, or catching anything for that matter.

"I have my vaccination against this strain. I'm safe."

"Right, the vaccines."  Only the elite, or those who were most likely to be exposed to these diseases and germs, were given that particular type of vaccine. There wasn’t enough for everyone, otherwise Raven wouldn’t have been in that damn bed, she would have been working and seeing Finn and getting on with her life.

"Yes, the vaccines.” Abby could sense the change in Raven’s tone, but opted not to focus on it. “So, we'll start your treatment right away. I'll give you these and hopefully, you can be out of here as soon as possible."

"Thanks, Doctor Griffin,” Raven said, referring to Abby by her title for the first time since she’d been there. It did not go unnoticed.

"You're welcome,” she replied, thinking it best she did what she needed to do and then give Raven her space.

Hooking the antibiotics up to the IV, Abby set about ensuring Raven was going to be on the right dosage per hour. Then she checked her fluid intake, and once satisfied, stood back. Raven looked gaunt, tired, and Abby hoped that the antibiotics would do the trick.

*0*0*

"How's my favourite patient today?" Abby asked, walking into Raven’s room. She’d heard from Jackson that things weren’t improving as they hoped, and she’d come to see for herself.

 "Cranky,” Raven groaned, looking as pissed off as she sounded.

Moving over to the bed, Abby eyed the vitals on show, and then looked back to Raven.

"You still have a fever." She frowned, before taking a step closer to the bed. "Can you sit forward for me, Raven?"

Raven did as instructed, feeling crap just doing so, but she knew that it was probably for the best. Abby moved her gown out the way and placed the stethoscope on her back. It was cold, and Raven tried to move away from it, but was unable.

"Cough for me." Doing as she was told, Raven repeated the action on request, until she was told to lie back down. All the while, Abby was being as careful as possible with her, knowing this must have been exhausting.

"Problem, Doc?” It certainly seemed like there was.

"No, you sound no better than you did last time I saw you. I was hoping there would have been some change by now." Abby frowned, looking at Raven’s vitals again.

"What does that mean?" Raven asked, clearing her throat for what felt like the sixtieth time that hour.

"I'm going to change your antibiotics. I'll give you something stronger. Your heart seems to be having some trouble as well, so, I'm going to hook you up to another machine and keep a closer eye on it." Picking up a tablet, Abby placed a request for the machine, and knew Jackson would bring it in later.

"My heart, too? Of course,” Raven groaned, feeling disdain for it. She noticed Abby cock her eyebrow and give a small smile, and that had her wondering. "What?" she asked, looking at Abby curiously.

"You always say 'of course' when I mention your heart,” she explained.

"Cause it gives me all sorts of trouble. Don't get me started on it.” Before Raven could continue, she began coughing, trying to clear her throat and failing miserably. Her chest ached, her throat hurt, her body was crying out in pain. Being sick, sucks.

“Take it easy, deep breaths for me,” Abby soothed, patting Raven on the back gently. Slowly, it eased, and Raven slumped back down into the bed, ready to continue their previous conversation.

"Right now, my heart is doing a piss poor job-" she began, looking put out again.

"It’s doing the best it can-“ Abby interrupted.

“Not good enough-“ Raven whined, but was stopped again.

"But it's working, and fighting, to keep your healthy so stop moaning, and let it do its thing." With a gentle pat to the arm, Abby gave Raven a stern look.

"Whatever. Can I get another blanket or turn the heating up? I’m freezing.” Tugging at the blankets on the bed, Raven wished for them to be thicker, but the sudden likelihood of that happening was slim.

"That's the fever talking. You're not going to get another blanket,” Abby replied, checking everything off and beginning to walk away.

 “You torture me, Doc!” Raven called.

Abby left the room laughing, shaking her head, and Raven slumped back into the bed, watching her leave. Was it pathetic she was already anticipating her return?

Geeze, damn pneumonia had her losing her mind.

*0*0*

It was late, the lights in the room were low, only a small cast from a lamp on the other side of the room. Raven awoke feeling sore, her chest aching, and her need to cough overwhelming. She reached for the tissues by the bed and coughed into them, her breath wheezing as she did so, and fucking hell, that hurt. Clenching her eyes shut, she let the pain subside, before opening them again, and was met with a familiar face staring back at her, concern etched into her gaze.

"You're here?" Raven asked, clearing her throat again, trying not to look as gross as she felt spitting into the tissues.

"You needed a watch for the night, so I volunteered,” Abby replied, stretching her arms as she repositioned herself in the chair she was in.

"I'm not that bad, I don’t need a watch." It was a bare faced lie, and the hacking that followed that sentence convinced no one. "Okay, maybe I am that bad," Raven relented, hearing Abby getting up to move closer. "Sorry you've got to give up your night.” If the pneumonia hadn’t already made her feel like shit, ruining Abby’s evening would have.

"I'm not giving up anything,” Abby replied, quick to sooth the crease in Raven’s brow. “I'd be lying awake in my quarters right now, instead, so there really is no difference." To Abby there might not have been, but to Raven there sure as hell was. And not wanting to go down that train of thought, she swallowed the lump in her throat and changed the subject.

"I'm still an isolated case, right?" She needed to be. She wouldn’t be able to cope if she wasn’t. She  could not be the start of an outbreak.

"Yes, you are. Everyone else is fine,” Abby answered, nodding softly, reading the concern in Raven’s voice. The last thing she wanted was her worrying about everyone else on the Ark, not when she needed to be focused on getting better.

"Good. I refuse to be the demise of us up here.” It was meant as a joke, but the undertones spoke for themselves.

"Well, I can assure you, you're not, Raven." And it was the truth, there really were no other cases, for which they were all very lucky. Oh so very lucky.

 "Don't you have council stuff to get to, or do? Staying here with me can’t be fun. And while we’re on the topic, what do you do as a council member?" Raven asked, dropping her head back in the bed, staring at the ceiling as she rattled on.

"It's actually less taxing than you'd think-“

 "I find that hard to believe,” Raven muttered, convinced the Council members did fuck all but enjoy the luxuries that position allowed them.

Rather than be annoyed by Raven’s remark, Abby fought a smile, and then continued on like nothing. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard that thought, and she didn’t think it would be the last, but to hear it from Raven was something new.

"It's not just about the title. There are a lot of decisions to be made, hard choices that are needed to benefit everyone. It can be boring at times, and there are a few choices that keep you awake at night, but it’s a job, and someone has to do it.” Abby’s gaze was fixed on the bedside table next to Raven, but her eyes were unwavering, like she was off in a daydream while she spoke. It did make Raven wonder just what sort of decisions were being made, what decisions were keeping Abby up at night.

“It's not what I thought it was going to be,” Abby finished, breaking from her memories, and turning to look at Raven.

"Regret it, Councilwoman?" Her tone was teasing, and it eased the feeling in the room.

"No," Abby smiled, "Not yet." There was more to be said about that, but Raven wasn’t going to pry any further.

"I don't know how you do it, having everyone fawn over you and hate you at the same time.” That was the general consensus amongst the masses, anyway. “Then again, you are Ark royalty, so that might explain it."

"Royalty?" Abby asked, looking bemused, and Raven paused.

"You know what I'm talking about. Please,” she begged, rolling her eyes. Abby laughed in return, shaking her head, not following exactly. Of course, she had heard the rumours, but she didn’t know she was actually called that. “Oh come on!” Raven cried, before bursting into a hacking cough.

It took a few moments for it to settle, and after Abby’s assistance to have some water, silence eased into the room again.

"What about you, Raven Reyes, youngest Zero-G mechanic in fifty years? Do you enjoy your job?” Abby asked, taking a seat again, although she moved it forward a little more so she was closer to the bed.

"Fifty Two,” Raven corrected, a tired grin on her lips.

"My apologies, fifty two years,” Abby laughed, pleased to see her confidence hadn’t waned.

"I'm just doing what I love, it's everything I wanted to it to be an more." And it was. She had absolutely no complaints. Well, minus the fact she couldn’t be out there now getting to work.  "Surely you must have that with this doctor stuff you do? You must enjoy it?" Or why else would she do it?

"I do enjoy it, I enjoy knowing that I’m helping someone. Although, like being a councilmember, it’s getting harder. Not the job, mind you, but making the decisions. We only have so much of everything, and sacrifices of one has to be made for another. Knowing the politics of it all actually makes it worse, sometimes." That, Raven could understand.

 "Yeah, it's no surprise people get floated for stealing medicine,” she replied, looking back down at the bed covers.

 "No, it's not,” Abby agreed, and then a comfortable silence filled the room once more.

As they were on the topic of medicine, it did make Raven think how she had been so lucky with her treatment. She’d already had two types of antibiotics, which was not the usual method of treatment. Not unless the person was crucial to the Ark’s survival, and Raven knew she was not.

 "How'd you swing getting me the stronger antibiotics?" she finally asked, needing to know.

 "You're the youngest g zero-g mechanic in fifty two ears, Raven, how do you think?" Abby replied, a teasing smile on her lips, and it had Raven hacking out a laugh. Painful, but worth it.

 "Good to know I have a worth to the Ark."

 "You are very important, Raven, don't let anyone think otherwise,” Abby said, nodding, and the way the words warmed Raven had her thinking the Doc was right.

*0*0*

 It was six days later when the sound of the doors opening greeted Raven with the face she was looking to see.

"I'm feeling better, Doc!" she called, grinning.

She was sitting up in the bed, her heart was beating at a normal rate, the fever was gone, and her cough had eased up. Personally, Raven thought she was ready to be discharged, but from Abby’s shaking head, that didn’t look to be the case.

 "I can see that,” she replied, smiling. “And you are looking better. Your vitals are stronger, I see you haven't been coughing as much, your lungs sounded better last Jackson checked. So it does look like you're on the med, Raven."

 "Knew it,” she bragged, before going on to mutter, “about damn time, too." That earned her a playful eye roll from the Doc.

"Don't push yourself too fast, or you'll be back in this bed for another three weeks,” Abby warned, and okay, no, that wasn’t going to happen.

"God no. I will go certifiably insane." Raven was already losing it, she felt. Another three weeks in that room and she’d truly have gone mad.

"Good thing I'm you doctor then, because I can diagnose you for that, too," Abby sassed, earning a pleased smirk from Raven.

"Smart,” she deadpanned. Abby grinned back at her, and gosh, Raven would never tire of seeing that.

 As awful as being quarantined away was, spending all that time with Abby certainly wasn’t.

*0*0*

"It's release day, Doc, come on, sign those papers, let me go," Raven sang out, kicking her legs off the end of the bed, as soon as Abby entered. It earned her a laugh, and Abby approached, all smiles and warmth and wow.

"I am happy to say, Raven, that you are free to leave.” Handing over a copy of the papers, Raven grinned excitedly.

"Thanks, Doc. Couldn't have done it without you." Abby gave her a thankful smile back, her gaze softening, and Raven got the impression she was going to say something, something more than the next words to leave her mouth.

"You'll have to come back for follow ups, every day, at the clinic,” Abby explained, running her hands down her lab coat as she spoke. “Just in case.”

Raven didn’t like the sound of that, but did like the prospect of seeing Abby again.

"I thought I was fine," she said, some of the excitement from before having gone.

 "I think you are, but I want to be sure. If you start to deteriorate at all, I need to know." That seemed to make sense, but still. Then again, there was no way Abby would risk the Ark getting sick just to let Raven loose, so she had to be fine.

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow,” Raven chimed, standing up, and stepping away from the bed.

Abby moved with Raven to the door, and then through the med centre and to the exit of quarantine where Raven’s papers were checked.

“Take care.” Abby smiled, placing her hand on Raven’s arm and giving it a squeeze, before she turned and headed back through the med centre doors.

Standing there, biting her lip, Raven felt a little torn. It really shouldn’t have felt so out of touch to know she was no longer going to spend as much time with Abby as she previously had. Raven should have been happy; she had her job to get back to, she had Finn to visit, she had life to get on with. So what the hell was she doing obsessing over Doctor Griffin?

A foolish crush was one thing, but this felt like it was bordering on infatuation. Jesus.

The only plus to this, however, was that Raven now had a valid excuse to see Abby every day. That was hardly going to be an issue. And hell, without the check-ups, she’d probably try and find reasons to go to the clinic anyway, just to see her. So really, this was the perfect solution to her problem.

Granted, it didn’t deal with the butterflies in her stomach when she thought of Abby, or the desire a little south of that when she imagined what her touch might feel like, what her lips might taste like, but baby steps for now.

Still, this crush felt like a bad idea that needed to be shut down, and shut down fast. Good luck, Reyes; Raven thought to herself, because fuck, she was going to need it.

*0*0*


End file.
